Gareth Troughton
POULTON dad and paediatric physiotherapist, Gareth Troughton, is running his first marathon to help causes close to his heart.
Gareth was overjoyed when he got a place on the London Marathon and has set himself a charity target of £3,000 to help the Miscarriage Association and blood cancer charity DKMS.
He is putting in the hours of training to pound the streets of London, but to get himself over the charity finishing line he needs help to raise vital funds.
Tragically Gareth, who works for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, has first-hand experience of miscarriage and has friends who have suffered from blood cancers. Knowing he can help other people facing such devastating health problems is spurring him on to his goal.
“My wife and I have a beautiful little boy, but he was our fourth pregnancy, so we have lived through the stress and pressure of miscarriage.
“Education around miscarriage is something we feel strongly about and I hope that by raising funds to help the association I can do something to help others avoid the heartache we have experienced,” Gareth said.
As a paediatric physio Gareth works with children in the Blackpool area who suffer from long-term neuromuscular conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and brain cancer.
“It can be a difficult and harrowing role, but it can also be immensely rewarding to see the children having a good time and learning to cope with their condition. Having a child of my own makes me realise what some children go through and what they have to live with every day, 24 hours a day.
“I was delighted when I found out I had a place at the Marathon and I am training hard to meet my time target of four hours.
“But it’s a bit like having another part time job with all the training, organising, fundraising and publicity. In fact it’s becoming a bit of an obsession,” Gareth joked.
To help Gareth achieve his marathon success, please log on to https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=GarethTroughton&pageUrl=1